Scoring and feeding mechanism



Nov. 12, 1957 M. VAN ANTWERPEN EITAL 2,

' SCORING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Filed 1m. 15,1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I '1 j {Z o o 82 O O O INVENTORS MARTIN VAN ANTWERPEN LLOYD D.VAN ANTWERPEN AT TORNEYS Nov. 12, 1957 Filed Dec. 15, 1955 M. VAN ANTWERPEN ET AL 2,812,798

SCORING AND FEEDING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 a 74 M 6 m :5

INVENTORS MARTIN VAN ANTWERPEN LLOYD D,VAN ANTWERPEN ATTORNEYS No 12. 1957 M. VAN ANTWERPEN ETAL 2,812,798

SCORING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 15, 1955 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS MARTIN VAN ANTWERPEN LLOYD D.VAN ANTWEPXPEN ATTORNEYS M. VAN ANTWERPEN ETAL 2,812,798

Nov. 12, 1957 SCORING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Fiied Dec. 15, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Zl/l/l/l/ ATTORNEYS Unite States Patent SCGRING AND FEEDING MECHANISM Martin Van Antwerpen and Lloyd D. Van Antwerpen, Milwaukee, Wis assignors, by mesne assignments, to Variant Company, lino, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application Becember 15, 1955, Serial No. 553,327 6 Claims. or. 154-30 This invention appertains to novel improvements in a machine of the general type shown in the Van Antwerpen Patent No. 2,504,473, issued April 18, 1950, for fabricating cushioning and shock absorbing strips for frangible articles, such as glass replacement parts of automobiles, mirrors etc.

The strip fabricated by the machine shown in the abovementioned patent includes a flat base web, an intermediate cushioning web and an inner face web. The inner face web is folded to form a series of outwardly projecting, longitudinally aligned substantially V-shaped portions. The V-shaped portions are in turn provided with longitudinally aligned slots for receiving the peripheral edge of the glass being protected when the strip is placed around the glass. The intermediate cushioning web is folded to form a series of longitudinally aligned V or U-shaped (in the present case, U-shaped) cushioning peaks which lie inthe ll-shaped portions of the face web when the webs are united. The glass being protected rests on the cushioning peaks when the glass is placed in the slots of the V-shaped portions in the face web.

In the co-pending Van Antwerpen patent application, Serial Number 508,517 filed May 16, 1955, now Patent No. 2,787,323, an improved means was shown and claimed for facilitating the making of slits in the face web to form the slots in the V-shaped portions when the face web was folded to form V-shaped portions.

The present invention relates to a novel and simple mechanism for creasing and/ or scoring the face web and the intermediate web transversely to facilitate the folding and the correct forming of the V-shaped portions in the face web and the U-shaped portions in the intermediate web.

Another salient object of the invention is the provision of novel scoring rollers for the face web and novel scoring rollers for the intermediate web with means for synchronously rotating the rollers for the face web and the roller for the intermediate web, whereby said webs will be advanced at the same rate to insure the proper fitting of the U-shaped cushioning peaks in the V-shaped portions upon the forming of the peaks and the V-shaped portions and the joining of the webs.

A further important object of the invention is the provision of a novel pair of mating rollers between which the face web travels for scoring the face web to facilitate the folding of the web to form the V-shaped portions, one (bottom) roller carrying creasing blades mating with grooves in the second (top) roller for scoring the web at the apexes of the V-shaped portions; the second (top) roller carrying pairs of creasing blades mating with grooves in the first (bottom) roller for scoring the web on each side of and in a reverse direction from the score lines for the apexes to facilitate the folding of the web at the base of the !-shaped portions.

Another further important object of the invention is the provision of a novel pair of mating rollers between which the intermediate web travels for facilitating the folding of the intermediate web to form the cushion U- shaped peaks; one roller (bottom) carrying pairs of like creasing blades mating in grooves in a second (top) roller for forming like pairs of score lines in the web to facilitate folding of the web to form the tops of the U-shaped cushioning peaks; and creasing blades carried by the second (top) roller mating with grooves in the first (bottom) roller for forming reverse base score lines for the U- shaped portions.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of friction pads carried by the second (top) roller of the pair of rollers for the intermediate web, whereby to directly engage the intermediate web and to prevent slipping of the intermediate web and the proper advancing of the web during the scoring or creasing operation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of that portion of the machine forming the present invention and for scoring the face and intermediate webs of a cushioning and shock absorbing strip;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through that part of the machine shown in Figure 1, the section being taken on the line 22 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through the machine taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, the view illustrating the novel upper pair of rollers for scoring the face web and the novel pair of lower rollers for scoring the intermediate web;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view through the lower pair of rollers for scoring the intermediate web, the section being taken on the line 44 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the face web after the slitting and scoring thereof,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan View of the intermediate web after the scoring thereof, and

Figure 7 is a detail fragmentary perspective view showing the face web and the intermediate web folded and united together.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter S generally indicates' the improved scoring machine. The scoring machine S includes a frame 10 of any desired character and this frame, in actual practice forms a continuation of the frame of the slitting machine shown in the copending application heretofore mentioned.

As illustrated, the frame 10 includes four corner standards 11 welded or otherwise fastened to base beams 12. The corner standards 11 are also connected by longitudinally extending supporting frame bars 13, 14 and 15. These bars not only brace the frame, but also form supports for various parts of the machine, as will later appear.

The upper supporting bars 15 carry the scoring mechanism and associate parts for a face web 16, which travels from the slitting machine to the present scoring machine. The scoring mechanism for this face web 16 includes an upper scoring roll 17 and a lower scoring roll 18. The face web 16 travels between the scoring rolls 17 and 18 and is fed into and between the rolls 17 and 18 by upper and lower feed rolls 19 and 20. The web 16 is guided into the feed rolls 19 and 20 and thence between the scoring rolls 17 and 18 by idler rolls 21 and 22 and these idler rolls receive a face web directly from the slitting machine. The idler guide rolls 21 and 22 can be supported on the frame by suitable brackets 23. The

lower feed roll is journaled in suitable bearings 24 bolted, or otherwise fastened, to the lower face of the top supporting bars 15 and the upper feed roll 19 is rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 25 slidably mounted in guide brackets 26. Expansion springs 27 normally urge the bearing blocks 25 downwardly and consequently, the upper feed roll 19 is constantly urged toward the lower feed roll 20 so that the web 16 will be gripped and fed forwardly during the rotation of these feed rolls. Means 28'is provided for adjusting the tension of the expansion springs 27 and this adjusting means can be of any proved character. The feed rolls are preferably faced with friction material, such as rubber sheeting 29 (see Figure 2), so as to prevent the slipping of the web 16 relative to the rolls.

The scoring rolls 17 and 18 are of a special character and form an important part of the present invention and these rolls will now be described in detail. The lower scoring roll 18 is rotatably mounted in bearings 30 bolted or otherwise secured to the lower face of the top supporting bars 15. The upper scoring roll 17 is rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 31 slidably mounted in guides 32 fastened to the upper face of the bars 15. The bearing blocks 31 are normally urged downward by expansion springs 33 and the tension of these springs is adjustable by suitable mechanism 34 of an approved character. Hence, the upper scoring roll 17 is normally urged downward toward the lower scoring roll 18.

The upper scoring roll 17 includes end hub discs 35 to which is securely fastened the roll rim or sleeve 36 and this rim has embedded therein and securely fastened thereto pairs of longitudinally extending scoring blades 37. The blades of each pair of blades are spaced a predetermined distance apart and the pairs of blades are equidistantly spaced around the periphery of the rim of the upper roll. The scoring blades 17 can be secured in place in different manners, but the rim of the roll is preferably provided with longitudinal slots in which the blades are fitted and machine screws 38 hold the blades in the slots. Between the pairs of blades 37 the rim 36 has formed therein longitudinally extending scoring slots or grooves 39. The purpose of the scoring grooves 39 will later appear.

The lower scoring roll 18 also includes end hub discs 40 and a relatively heavy rim or sleeve 41 and the hub discs are secured to the rim for synchronous movement in any desired way, such as by welding. The rim 41 has embedded therein at equidistantly spaced points scoring blades 42 and the rim between the blades 42 is provided with pairs of longitudinally extending scoring grooves 43. The blades 42 can be fitted in slots in the roll and held in the roll by headed screws 44. The feed rolls 19 and 20 and the scoring rolls 17 and 18 are driven and considering for the moment that these rolls are driven for advancing the face web 16 therebetween and at a preferred rate of travel, the scoring mechanism for said web functions as follows: The feed rolls 19 and 20 advance the sheet to and between the scoring rolls 17 as heretofore stated, and as brought out, the face web is scored or creased transversely to facilitate the folding of this web to form equidistantly spaced V-shaped projections. Hence, to form these V-shaped projections, the web is creased or scored in one direction to form the fold for the apex of the projections and the web is scored or creased in the reverse direction to facilitate the folding of the web to form the base of the projections. The pairs of scoring blades 37 in conjunction with the pairs of grooves 43 form the base creases or scores while the blades 42 in the lower roll in conjunction with the grooves 39 in the upper roll form the creases or scores for the apexes of the projections. During the rotation of the rolls 17 and 18 the blades 42 successively contact the web between the blades of the pairs of blades 37 and enter into a mating groove 39. Hence during the travel of the web the pairs of blades 37 force the web into the mating grooves 43 to provide downwardly extending base creases or score lines while the blades 42 and their mating grooves 39 form upwardly extending creases or scores between the pairs of base creases or scores. The base creases or scores are indicated by the reference character 45 and the creases for the apex folds are indicated by the reference character 46. Reference can now be had to Figure 5, in which a portion of the face web 16 is shown. The face web is provided with pairs of slits 47 formed therein by the slitting machine and when this web leaves the scoring machine S the same is provided with the scores or creases 45 and 46. The travel of the web 16 is so timed that the score lines 46 extend through the pairs of slits 47. After the completion of the cushioning and shock absorbing member the same is cut into strips of the desired width and in the present instance, the completed member is divided centrally as indicated by the dotted line 48.

Also arranged on the frame 10, for rotary movement, is a second pair of scoring rolls for an intermediate web 49 and this pair of scoring rolls includes an upper roll 59 and a lower roll 51 between which the web 49 travels. The web 49 is fed off of a supply roll, not shown, and is later joined with the face web and the base web, not shown, in a later operation. The intermediate web 49 is fed over spaced idler rolls 52 and 53 mounted in suitable bearings carried by the frame 10 and then by the guide rolls 54 and 55. These guide rolls 54 and 55 are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings carried by the frame bars 13 and 14. The upper and lower scoring rolls 50 and 51 form an essential part of this invention.

The upper scoring roll 50 includes end hub discs 56 to which is rigidly secured a heavy rim or sleeve 57. Carried by and embedded in the periphery of the rim 57 are equidistantly spaced pairs of creasing or scoring blades 58. Between the blades of each pair are pairs of longitudinally extending creasing or corrugating grooves 59, the purpose of which will later appear. Between the pairs of scoring blades 58 are longitudinally extending friction pads 60, preferably, but not necessarily, formed from rubber. These pads also form an essential part of this invention.

The lower scoring roll 51 also includes end hub discs 61 to which is rigidly secured a relatively heavy rim or sleeve 62. This rim has rigidly secured thereto and embedded therein pairs of scoring blades 63 and it is to be noted that the blades of the pairs of blades 63 are arranged in closer relation to each other than the blades of the pairs of blades 58 carried by the upper roll 50. On each side of the pairs of blades 63 and in close relation thereto are longitudinally extending scoring grooves 64. During the operation of the rolls 50 and 51 the blades 58 of the upper roll mate with and extend into the grooves 64, while the blades 63 mate with and enter into the grooves 59 of the upper roll. The blades 58 and 63 are secured in their rims in the same manner as the blades 37 and 42 of the scoring rolls 17 and 18, and as stated, the blades can be held in place in any desired way. As best shown in Figure 4, the rims 57 and 62 are slotted longitudinally, as at 65, to receive the blades and machine screws 66 are threaded into the rims and the heads of these screws bear against the shoulders 66 formed on said blades. The scoring rolls 50 and 51 are power driven at a desired rate of revolution, which will be later described, and considering that the rolls 50 and 51 are being rotated, then the web 49 is fed therethrough and between these rolls. As heretofore set forth, the intermediate web 49 is adapted to have formed therein equidistantly spaced longitudinally extending U-shaped peaks which fit within the V-shaped projections in the web 16 and hence it is. Very desirable that these webs be advanced at the same rate so that when these webs are joined, the

U-shaped projections of sheet 49 will accurately mate with and fit within the V-shaped projections. The advancement of the webs forms a part of the driving mechanism, which as set forth will be hereinafter described. In order to form the U-shaped projections it is necessary to crease or score the web in one direction at the top of the peaks and to crease or score the web in the opposite direction at the base of the peaks, The pairs ofblades 63 entering into the pairs of slits 59 form score lines 67 in the same direction to facilitate the folding of the web to form the opposite sides of the peaks. The blades 58 entering into the grooves 64 form creases or scores 68 in the opposite direction to facilitate the folding of the web to form the bases of the projections. In Figure 6 we have shown a fragment of the web 49, and the score lines are indicated on the web in this view.

The friction pads 60 function to hold the web 49 between the rolls and to advance the web at a steady rate, so that the web will not creep relative to the rolls. Thus, the proper creasing or scoring of the web is assured.

The lower roll 51 is rigidly fastened to a supporting shaft 69, which is rotatably mounted within bearings 70 carried by the upper face of the supporting bars 13. The upper roll 50 is rigidly secured to a supporting shaft 71 and this shaft is rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 72 mounted in slides 73. The blocks 72 are urged downwardly by expansion springs 74 and the tension thereof is controlled by an adjusting means 75. Hence, the roll 50 is normally urged downward into intimate engagement with the roll 51.

As heretofore brought out the drive for the pairs of scoring rolls forms an important part of this invention and this drive will now be described. It is to be noted, however, that the upper pair of rolls 17 and 18 are op- .eratively connected together, for synchronous movement by intermeshing gears 76 and 77 bolted, or otherwise rigidly fastened, respectively, to the roll 17 and to the roll 18.

The lower pair of rolls 50 and 51 are likewise geared together for synchronous movement and hence gears 78 and 79 are bolted, or otherwise rigidly fastened, respectively to the rolls 50 and 51, and these gears are intermeshed as best shown in Figure 3.

Leading toward the frame is a main drive shaft 80 and this shaft is driven from a suitable prime mover, such as an electric motor (not shown). One end of the shaft is rotatably mounted in a bearing 81 fastened to the frame 10. This drive shaft rotates a countershaft 82 through intermeshing beveled pinions 83. Secured to the countershaft 82 is a drive sprocket 84 and this sprocket is operatively connected to a sprocket wheel 85 through the use of an endless sprocket chain 86. The sprocket wheel 85 is keyed, or otherwise secured, to a driven shaft 87 and this shaft, in turn, has also keyed thereto a sprocket wheel 88. The sprocket wheel 88 is operatively connected to a sprocket wheel 89 through the medium of a sprocket chain 90. The sprocket wheel 89 is keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft 91 rotatably mounted on the frame 10. The shaft 91 in turn has keyed thereto sprocket wheels 92 and 93. In effect, the arrangement of the shafts 82, 87 and 91 and the sprocket wheels thereon constitute a gear reduction mechanism. The sprocket wheel 92 has trained thereabout a sprocket chain 94 which leads to and drives the mechanism for the slitting machine referred to in the co-pending application. Trained about the sprocket wheel 93 is a drive sprocket chain 95 and this chain is employed for simultaneously driving the upper and lower pair of scoring rolls so that the upper and lower pairs of scoring rolls will be driven simultaneously and in proper timed relation. The lower roll 18 of the upper pair of rolls has rigidly connected thereto a sprocket wheel 96 and the sprocket chain 95 travels around this sprocket wheel and drives the roll. The lower roll 51 of the lower pair of rolls has rigidly secured thereto a sprocket wheel 97 around which the chain travels.

It is also advisable to drive the feed roll 20 for the upper pair of rolls 17 and 18 and hence the lower feed roll 20 has rigidly connected thereto a sprocket wheel 98 and the sprocket chain 95 is trained over this sprocket wheel. It is also desirable to drive the upper feed roll 19 in proper timed relation relative to the upper scoring roll 17 and this can be done by rigidly securing to the scoring roll 17 and the feed roll 19 sprocket wheels 99 around which is trained a sprocket chain 100.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that novel means is provided for scoring the face web transversely and for scoring an intermediate web transversely and that the scoring means for the face and intermediate webs is driven in unison and in proper timed relation. The face web 16 and the intermediate web 49 are fed forwardly from the scoring machine S together with a base web (not shown) to a folding and gluing section, which forms the subject matter of another invention.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention but what we claim as new is:

1. In a machine for producing a series of transversely extending parallel scoring lines in webs to be united comprising a frame, an upper pair of scoring rolls between which one web travels, a second pair of scoring rolls between which a second web travels, all of said rolls having radially projecting scoring blades and mating scoring grooves, and means for simultaneously driving the upper and lower pairs of rolls at the same rate whereby the rate of travel of the two webs will be equal.

2. In a machine for producing a series of transversely extending parallel score lines in independent webs to be connected comprising a frame, an upper pair of scoring rolls between which a web travels, intermeshing gears connecting said rolls for synchronous movement, a second pair of scoring rolls between which a second web travels, intermeshing gears connecting the rolls of the second pair together for synchronous movement, all of said rolls having radially projecting scoring blades and scoring grooves, and means for synchronously driving the upper and lower pairs of rolls at a given rate whereby the rate of travel of the webs will be equal.

3. In a machine for producing a series of transversely extending parallel score lines in webs as defined in claim 2, and means for feeding the webs between the rolls of the pair of rolls.

4. In a machine for producing a series of transversely extending parallel score lines in webs as defined in claim 2, and means for urging one roll of each pair of rolls toward the other roll of each pair.

5. A machine for producing a series of transversely extending spaced parallel score lines in a web to facilitate the folding of the web with outwardly extending V-shaped projections including a pair of scoring rolls between which the web travels, pairs of radially extending scoring blades on one roll and pairs of scoring grooves in the other roll for receiving the blades to form pairs of spaced parallel score lines in the same direction in the web, said last named roll having radially extending scoring blades and said first roll having scoring grooves disposed between the pairs of scoring blades on said roll for receiving the scoring blades of the other roll to form score lines in the Web in a reverse direction from the first mentioned score lines.

6. In a machine for producing a series of parallel score lines in a web, a pair of scoring rolls between which the web travels, said pair of rolls including an upper roll and a lower roll, pairs of outwardly extending scoring blades on the top roll and said lower roll having pairs of score grooves for receiving the blades to form parallel score lines in the web in the same direction, radially extending pairs of scoring blades on the lower roll arranged 7 incloser relation than thepairs of bladeson the upper r011, said upper r011 alsohavingpairsof scoringgrooves for receiving the pairs of blades in the lower 1'011- to'fdrm scorelines in the webin a reverse direction from the first'-mentioned score lines.

, References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Rah'r et a1 Nov. 27', 1923 Eng'el Feb. 14, 1939 Cox Aug. 22, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Nov. 5, 1946 

